I am listening to the rushing Trisuli river as I write this. Wifi here..woo hoo and cheaper than Kathmandu. I am having a relaxing day. The rest of the group....yes there is a group if you can call four of us a group....14 cancelled and two were apparently on the manifest from London to Delhi but nothing from there and cannot be tracked down.....anyway as I was saying the rest of the group went to Gorkha today. I opted after much soul searching to take a day off...there are 1000 stone steps to negotiate and my knees are still recovering from a hike the other day. Sometimes you just have to be sensible. And it's no hardship - this is a simple resort but lovely. I had hoped to use the palatial swimming pool but unless it warms up.....I want to go down to the river and take photographs but only plan to do that once due to all the steps so hanging in for the sun. It isn't 10 a,m, yet so lots of time.
It's been a great few days. Our little resort in Nagarkot was lovely and we watched the sun rise over the himalaya along with a very playful puppy. After breakfast we hiked up to a ridge for a gorgeous view - I was huffing and puffing like a steam engine due to the altitude and alas...not being in shape. I am so glad I did not do a trek. We were accompanied on the way back by a dog., Our leader was telling us that they cannot feed the stray dogs on a trek as they will follow the whole way which can be bad at higher levels. Yaks do not like dogs and will attack; the dogs run and hide behind the humans and the humans get attacked instead. One group leader was attacked this way and was airlifted out., Sue (our leader who is a guy but we call him Sue for short...yeah I know a boy named Sue) told us he had one fellow turn up for a trek in a suit and dress shoes and insisted that is what he would wear despite being told not to!!! Needless to say he dropped out after two days.
Anyway we also walked to a local village which was interesting., Nepal has 30 million people - about 43% are literate. Attending school is the law but in small villages it is not followed and children are kept home to care for younger siblings. Birth control is being promoted and in cities people have one or two children but again in the villages five or six children are normal...
Yesterday we visited the medieval city of Bhakapur which was beautiful and like being in another world. Beautiful temples with intricate carvings. Then we had a four hour drive here.
If the rest of the group are up to it later this afternooon we will walk across a suspension bridge (all very modern) to a nearby village. I somehow doubt they will be so we will do that tomorrow morning and then hopefully do the cable car trip to the Manakamana Temple. Only down side...Saturday is a big animal sacrifice day. Ick. I didn't realize Hindus were such a blood thirsty lot - never heard about animal sacrifices in India but I am sure it's the same. Up in Gorkha today animal sacrifices as well - yeah I am going to walk up all those steps to see that....yep where do I sign up.
After that we will head to Pokhara for three nights so looking forward to that. I will get some laundry done at the hotel...I've been washing out my smalls but need some t-shirts and trousers done.
They have a Christmas tree up here...actually two...but it sure doesn't seem like Christmas which isn't a bad thing. I loved having all the Christmas stuff in London but it's nice to be away.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
It's been a great few days. Our little resort in Nagarkot was lovely and we watched the sun rise over the himalaya along with a very playful puppy. After breakfast we hiked up to a ridge for a gorgeous view - I was huffing and puffing like a steam engine due to the altitude and alas...not being in shape. I am so glad I did not do a trek. We were accompanied on the way back by a dog., Our leader was telling us that they cannot feed the stray dogs on a trek as they will follow the whole way which can be bad at higher levels. Yaks do not like dogs and will attack; the dogs run and hide behind the humans and the humans get attacked instead. One group leader was attacked this way and was airlifted out., Sue (our leader who is a guy but we call him Sue for short...yeah I know a boy named Sue) told us he had one fellow turn up for a trek in a suit and dress shoes and insisted that is what he would wear despite being told not to!!! Needless to say he dropped out after two days.
Anyway we also walked to a local village which was interesting., Nepal has 30 million people - about 43% are literate. Attending school is the law but in small villages it is not followed and children are kept home to care for younger siblings. Birth control is being promoted and in cities people have one or two children but again in the villages five or six children are normal...
Yesterday we visited the medieval city of Bhakapur which was beautiful and like being in another world. Beautiful temples with intricate carvings. Then we had a four hour drive here.
If the rest of the group are up to it later this afternooon we will walk across a suspension bridge (all very modern) to a nearby village. I somehow doubt they will be so we will do that tomorrow morning and then hopefully do the cable car trip to the Manakamana Temple. Only down side...Saturday is a big animal sacrifice day. Ick. I didn't realize Hindus were such a blood thirsty lot - never heard about animal sacrifices in India but I am sure it's the same. Up in Gorkha today animal sacrifices as well - yeah I am going to walk up all those steps to see that....yep where do I sign up.
After that we will head to Pokhara for three nights so looking forward to that. I will get some laundry done at the hotel...I've been washing out my smalls but need some t-shirts and trousers done.
They have a Christmas tree up here...actually two...but it sure doesn't seem like Christmas which isn't a bad thing. I loved having all the Christmas stuff in London but it's nice to be away.
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
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